A Guide to Storing Milk and Other Dairy Products in the Fridge

I blame my upbringing for my lifetime fealty to dairy products. My dad is from Wisconsin and my mom is from Ireland, which means, on both sides, my culinary heritage is deeply linked to butter and cheese. I have often thought it would be easier for me to give up cake for life than good, crusty bread smeared with salted Irish butter. But dairy products typically have a short shelf life, particularly if you don't store them properly. Here's a handy guide to the best way to store dairy.

Where to store milk in the fridge

You probably already know to store milk in the fridge. But where in the fridge matters. Milk, no matter if it's whole or skim, is best kept at around 37°F, which, depending on your fridge, usually means somewhere in the back on a lower shelf. You may need to store the milk on its side so that it fits easily. Avoid keeping milk in one of the door's shelves. It's a tempting storage spot because it's easily accessible, but it's warmer toward the front, and temperature fluctuations caused by opening and shutting the door frequently make milk spoil faster.

How to store milk in the freezer

For longer-term storage, you have a few options. You can actually freeze milk, as long as you do so in a plastic container (it expands when it freezes, so cardboard and glass, both vulnerable to breaking, aren't great for this application). Make sure to freeze milk before the expiration date and give it an inch or two of headroom to expand. A plastic jug, like the one milk often comes in, works just fine. It'll keep in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw it by putting it in the fridge and letting it slowly come up to liquid temp. Thawed milk will look grainy, because the fat molecules separate out, but shake it up or put it in the blender for a spin and it'll be just fine. The shelf life for thawed milk is considerably shorter than that of fresh — you'll want to consume thawed milk within three to four days, so keep that in mind when deciding what size containers you want to freeze milk in.

How to store heavy cream and half-and-half

Like milk, cream and half-and-half last the longest in a cool spot in the fridge. Avoid the door! The door is for condiments. You can also freeze cream for longer storage, either in an ice cube tray or in a plastic container. Again, you'll want to shake it up or otherwise blend it once thawed to encourage the milk fat and liquid to reintegrate. Once thawed, heavy cream will whip up just as well as the fresh version. Half-and-half will also freeze just fine, in an ice cube tray, plastic container, or even in a freezer bag.

How to store butter

I have great news for you if you love butter. You don't even need to refrigerate it! Yes! That's right! It's one of those American things that puzzles people from other countries.

If you keep your butter on the counter in a covered dish, it'll be just fine, as well as extremely spreadable, for three weeks to a month. There are exceptions here — don't do this if your kitchen is very hot, since it'll hasten spoilage. It also works best with salted butter, since the salt helps preservation. I tend to keep butter on the counter in the cooler months and in the fridge during the summer.

How to store yogurt

Keep yogurt in the fridge, of course. Once you open yogurt, it's best within five to seven days, but it can be stretched to about two weeks. If you see mold or pink streaks in it, throw it out — it's not worth the risk. Luckily, if you have too much yogurt and not enough time to eat it, you can definitely freeze it. Frozen yogurt is a treat that many national chains have capitalized on, and yes, it's totally just the stuff you eat with granola but in the freezer, plus flavoring. Yogurt loses some of its texture when it's frozen and thawed, but it's delightful when kept frozen. You can make your own frozen yogurt flavors, like coconut-mango frozen yogurt. Or you can just put dollops of yogurt on a sheet pan lined with parchment or foil, freeze them, and transfer to a freezer bag to plop into smoothies and baking. You could also freeze it in a freezer bag or an ice cube tray, if you'd like.

How to store cottage cheese

Once you've opened cottage cheese, it'll stay good in the fridge for seven to 10 days. Don't leave it on the counter! This is not a cheese to play fast and loose with. But there is a neat, very easy trick to prolonging its shelf life — just store it upside down. The tub will form a kind of vacuum seal, which will hinder the growth of bacteria. You can freeze it, too! Transfer to a freezer bag and it'll be good for two to three months. Cottage cheese loses its texture when you defrost it, so it's not as good to eat plain but still excellent for baking or smoothies.

How to store sour cream

The upside-down trick works well for sour cream, too! In the fridge it'll last for up to two weeks. Plus, did you know you can make sour cream at home with milk, cream, and vinegar? You sure can! You can also make crème fraîche, sour cream's fancier, mellower French cousin, with buttermilk and heavy cream. But anyway, once you have it, use or freeze it. Like cottage cheese and yogurt, it won't be as good texturally as it was fresh, but you can use it for cooking or baking, especially in this sour cream pound cake.

How to store buttermilk

That crucial ingredient for biscuits and pancakes, buttermilk actually lasts a pretty long time in the fridge. As long as you keep the carton closed tightly, it'll be good for three weeks to a month. But yes, you can freeze buttermilk, too! Shake it up and freeze in an ice cube tray, freezer bag, or quart container. It'll stay good for up to three months. If you love making biscuits, but aren't keen on keeping buttermilk around all the time, may I introduce you to the wonder of powdered buttermilk? It's excellent for baking — you just reconstitute the buttermilk by adding some water — and keeps in the fridge for a year or more. Definitely enough time to make it through stacks and stacks of pancakes or piles of biscuits.